Wednesday, November 30, 2016

There is a difficulty in seamlessly moving in and out of the falsetto register. When it’s performed well, the ability to transition between or among octaves is easy to take for granted. But even when taken for granted, listeners appreciate its attractiveness. In the Indie universe, Conor Mason of Nothing But Thieves is a standout.

“Lightning Parade” by Secret Company is another strong example. Scott Revell lives in the falsetto register for much of the song, but shows equal comfort in a lower octave and in the transitions. Secret Company is a UK band that claims Chelmsford as a hometown. The members are Scott Revell (vocals, guitar), James Patman (guitar), Kushal Gupta (bass) and Tim Reyland (drums).

Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Noisetrade Tuesday is no longer a weekly recommendation from the many offerings on the share site. The initial library of recommendations provided the basis for many 2016 posts, but the Noisetrade posts have become sparse. But here's an offering we enjoy.

The origin draw to Northern National was prompted by the vocal styling in the song “Love Is Fire.” The vocals are reminiscent of Dave Mason after he left Traffic and after his first few solo album releases of the 1970s.

Monday, November 28, 2016

It’s a duet that primarily uses a question-and-answer format. Holly Throsby's voice asks the questions, with the exception of perhaps the most significant one. Toward the end, the male voice (Mark Kozelek of Sun Moon Kill) asks, “Do you forgive me? Do you forgive me?” Her response is “Yes.” Before her response to that question, he repeatedly deflects the two-part request for continued commitment to their relationship:

Q: What do you love?

A: I love you, still.

Q: What do you say?

A: No, you say it best.

But after she states her forgiveness, the second part ends with his commitment:

A: I say, “Yes.”

Musically, there is much to appreciate. The song begins with an acoustic guitar. An electric guitar makes its entrance in an understated manner, then pushes forward as the song continues. The questions by Holly Throsby carry emotion, but the inflections in the vocals from Mark Kozelek push the song into the realm of the emotional driven.

Saturday, November 26, 2016

“Shy One” is a collaboration of an Irish musician, an Irish poet, and a California resident. Oran Reilly and Niall Woods (also known as Nylophone) provided the vocals and instruments, while the lyrics were adopted from a W.B. Yeats poem.

Friday, November 25, 2016

Free and Legal Downloads? Yes, at least temporarily. Bands often temporarily permit free downloads of their releases.The end of an offer is usually based on the expiration of a set period of time.But at least for now, here are songs that qualify as Free, Legal and Recommended (FL&R) downloads.

Finding songs that can be legally downloaded is easy. The difficult task is to find legally downloadable music that we recommend. The hope is to post FL&R at least one song each Friday.

We Singing Colors is an indie-pop band from Bucharest, Romania. “Out of the City” by We Singing Colors

Wednesday, November 23, 2016

We heartily recommend the television series “Soundbreaking.” If you aren't aware of the series, it is offered by the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). Each of its eight episodes examines an aspect of music in a passionate, enlightening and interesting manner. It’s not a lecture series, since the episodes are snippets of different interviews and different songs.

Our personal favorite is Episode 3, “The Human Instrument.” For at least the next few days, the episode may be viewed at http://www.pbs.org/video/2365882217/. The impressive list of songs from the episode is pasted at the bottom of this post.

Episode 3 concludes (starting at 51:22),

“We don’t really judge a vocal on an intellectual level. What we respond to is some feeling that they’re honest performances. And when we start to feel like this singer is carrying some truth to us, we make the deeper investment. This is not just the singer/songwriters. It’s not just that confessional mode. It could be James Brown. It could be Chic. But we know when it’s… you know, this is when we start to run out of words and we turn to … authentic.”

We all have a collection of songs and vocalists in which we have made the deeper investment. Because he recently passed, I’ll mention Leon Russell’s “A Song for You” as being on the “short list.” Turning to the 2016 albums, the investment is in Kyle Morton’s “What Will Destroy You.” It is Morton’s debut album, but he has released albums as a member of Typhoon, the orchestral Rock band from Portland, Oregon. We have a number of recommendations from among the ten tracks, including “Survivalist Fantasy” and “Perverse Fascination.” But the song in which we have the deepest investment – “My Little Darlin Knows My Nature.”

Kyle Morton will begin an extensive tour in January 2017. San Francisco is among the stops. On January 4, he will perform at Swedish American Music Hall. For ticket information, CLICK HERE. The full tour schedule is available at TOUR SCHEDULE.

Lyrics of “My Little Darlin Knows My Nature” by Kyle Morton

My little darlin knows my nature

My little darlin knows my mind

She has sheltered me from it all the time

For left alone to my own devices

I will tear at the carpet I'll chew the blinds

A more feral specimen you won't find

But every year I am getting older

And I lose my good looks, lose my charms

All I used to lure you into my arms

Who could blame you being cynical

You're right the world it is a crypt

It's pitiless and cold

And though I remain skeptical

That you still love me

May be the only miracle

I never learned to trust a love song

It was not because the words were trite

But I felt the love itself was trite

Now my little darlin I'll sing you a love song

One you can hang your hat on every night

I will be your witness if you be mine

I will be your witness if you be mine

I will be your witness if you be my wife

*********************************

As promised above, here is the song list from Episode 3 of “Soundbreaking.”

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Take a splash of an Arcade Fire riff, use it to support quieted vocals (ala The xx), and attach an orchestra-quality horn section. That’s a partial formula for “Tear Us Apart Again” by Little Children.

Monday, November 21, 2016

“Unforgiving War” is emotive and atmospheric while describing a relationship that should be ended. The song begins by featuring a reverberated slow-play guitar. The voice of Stefan Melbourne soon joins. But it’s not until the 1:30 mark that the passion becomes evident in the instruments. At that time, the build is slow, yet powerful, as it walks the listener to a song segment in which the vocalist admits to his share of responsibility for the relationship being is the state of hopeless disrepair.

Friday, November 18, 2016

Free and Legal Downloads? Yes, at least temporarily. Bands often temporarily permit free downloads of their releases. The end of an offer is usually based on the expiration of a set period of time. But at least for now, here are songs that qualify as Free, Legal and Recommended (FL&R) downloads.

Finding songs that can be legally downloaded is easy. The difficult task is to find legally downloadable music that we recommend. The hope is to post FL&R songs each Friday.

Today’s songs are available through the site that leads the way in the Australian Indie scene – Triple J Unearthed.

“Fight” by Magnets is a three-minute crescendo followed by 30-second decrescendo. Magnets is Siobhan McGinnity in Melbourne. She has been vocally and instrumentally assisting other artists for years. She has decided to step forward.

Thursday, November 17, 2016

The lyrics of “Glow” are built around a mournful wanting. He made a connection with her, but she remains in a relationship that he views as troubled. The vocals establish the emotion behind the wanting. However, it’s the instrumental arrangement that sets the song apart from other songs on our playlist.

The sophistication of the arrangement is evident during the first 30 seconds. At the start, “Glow” is atmospheric, as the instruments allow the vocals to establish the emotional setting. Soon, the guitars make their presence, as the vocals describe the “one night” and how she is discounting its meaning. At the 29-second mark, the intensity of the instruments is increased, as the vocals declare that her lover is taking her for granted.

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Mowbeck defines its music as “Gritpop,” a gritty Pop. That’s fair, although we would add the Rock aspect that is evidenced in many of their songs.

“Vaseline” is a good example of the grittiness. The lyrics are a passionate plea for a connection. Musically, the song is an emotional build, with an almost matter-of-fact questioning approach at the start and an intense Rock guitar-supported urgency near the end (which skillfully leads to a downtempo 17-second conclusion).

Monday, November 14, 2016

Jeff Beck is making an effort to depart from the “guitar nerd” designation. His poignant song “Scared for the Children” reflects the transition. Lyrically, the track is a concern for the priorities of the younger generation and the consequences of the priorities of the older generation. Instrumentally, the track can be considered a tribute to Jimi Hendrix. Jeff Beck openly acknowledges the similarities to “Angel” by Hendrix.

Indie Obsessive thanks Clark G. for alerting us to “Scared for the Children.” The contributors to the song include:

Saturday, November 12, 2016

That steady stream of quality Folktronica that flowed in early 2015 became a trickle in 2016. Coleman Hell, Howard, Message to Bears and others carried Folktronica (the fusion of Folk and Electronica-style sampling) to its high water mark last year. But the more recent entries have been less solidly based.

Milky Chance while at the Outside Lands
Festival in San Francisco

Well, this week Milky Chance released a single that fortifies the argument that the German duo (trio for concerts) has special skills within the genre. “Cocoon” combines infectious guitar, the band’s characteristic vocals, and sample-based beats to first draw the listener’s attention and then hold it firmly.

Quoting the press materials:

"Cocoon" is the first track to follow up from one of the most successful debut albums of 2014, "Sadnecessary," which featured the international smash "Stolen Dance" - one of the Top 20 most Shazam-ed tracks in history (a feat shared with such artists as Daft Punk, Macklemore) - and consequent hit singles "Down By The River" & "Flashed Junk Mind." A truly modern musical success story, the young German duo headlined gigs all over the world, including a sold-out UK tour which included two nights at Shepherd’s Bush Empire and three sold-out US Tours comprising more than 60 dates in total.

Milky Chance, comprised of former schoolmates Clemens Rehbein and Philipp Dausch, explain that "Cocoon" came from a period of reflection on the runaway success of their first album. The band’s sound combines deep, organic warmth of instrumental arrangements with Clemens raw, raspy voice. As the single’s name and sound implies, it also brings forth a palpable sense of returning to a place of serenity. Or in Clemens own words “trying to find a place where you can be yourself and not be distracted; to slow down and reflect on yourself.”